Electrically operated dispenser



Oct. 5, 1965 c. A. CIERVO ELECTRICALLY OPERATED DISPENSER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 21, 1964 I l I l [AWE/V70? CARMEN A. C/ERVO By S i e E f z ATTORNEYS.

Oct. 5, 1965 c. A. CIERVO ELECTRICALLY OPERATED DISPENSER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 21, 1964 lNVE/YTOI? CARMEN A. C/[RVO ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,210,139 ELECTRICALLY OPERATED DISPENSER Carmen A. Ciervo, 4904 Springfield Ave., Pennsauken, NJ.

Filed Apr. 21, 1964, Ser. No. 361,343 Claims. (Cl. 31239) This invention relates to an electrically operated dispenser, and more particularly to an electrically operated dispenser of material in sheet form such as paper toweling, tissue paper, wall paper, etc.

The dispenser of the present invention is preferably of the wall mounted type wherein the housing for the dispenser is substantially disposed within a recess in a wall or other supporting surface. The dispenser of the present invention is particularly adapted for conversion from dispensing tissue paper to dispensing of paper toweling with a minimum of effort, notwithstanding the fact that the paper toweling may be twice as wide as the tissue paper.

The dispenser of the present invention is preferably provided with a movable front wall containing a roller on its inner surface. The housing preferably contains an electrically operated roller adapted to mate with the roller on the front wall. The material to be dispensed is ro tatably supported about an axis disposed above the plane of the rollers. Since the front wall is movable, there is no threading of the material to be dispensed between the rollers.

Dispensing will continue so long as a switch remains in a closed position. The switch is preferably a push button on a front portion of the housing for the dispenser and is electrically connected to a motor which rotates one of the rollers. Heretofore, mechanical dispensers included complex linkages with interlocks so that only a predetermined length of material is dispensed each time the mechanism is actuated. Such devices are not practical for home use wherein the user desires the dispensing to continue until the desired length of material has been dispensed. While the dispenser of the present invention is particularly adapted for use in bathrooms and in the kitchens of residential buildings, it may be utilized in other environments such as in stores and the like.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an electrically operated dispenser of sheet material.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a dispenser of sheet material which enables the material to be continuously dispensed until the user stops the dispensing.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a dispenser for sheet material which does not require threading of thesheet material between rollers or the like.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an electrically operated dispenser for tissue paper which can be converted in a convenient, rapid manner for dispensing paper toweling of greater width.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an electrically operated dispenser adapted to be mounted within a recess in a wall or other supporting surface.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the dravw'ngs a form which is presently preferred; it being understood, however, that this invention is not 3,210,139 Fatented Oct. 5, 1965 Ice limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation view of a wall mounted electrically operated dispenser in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view 2-2 in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional View 33 in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 44 in FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view 55 in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view 6-6 in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 7 is a front elevation view of the dispenser with a portion of the front wall broken away to illustrate internal details when the sheet material is paper toweling, or the like.

Referring to the drawing in detail, wherein like numerals indicate like elements, there is shown in FIGURE 1 an electrically operated dispenser designated generally as 10 mounted in a recess 14 in a wall 12 or the like.

The dispenser 10 includes a housing designated generally as 16. Housing 16 includes a rear wall 18 extending between side walls 20 and 21. Housing 16 also includes a bottom wall 22, a top wall 24, and a front wall 26. Front wall 26 is pivotally secured to the top wall 24 by a hinge 28 or the like. A flange 30 extends outwardly from the walls 20, 21, 22 and 24. As shown more clearly in FIGURES 2 and 5, the flange 30 is disposed in a plane between the planes of the walls 18 and 26, but closer to the plane of the wall 26.

As shown more clearly in FIGURES 1 and 6, partitions 32 and 34 are provided. Partition 32 is permanent whereas partition 34 is readily removable. Partition 34 is disposed between lugs 36 on the top wall 24 and lugs 38 on a false bottom wall 40. A partition 42 is provided adjacent the wall 21. The partitions 34 and 42 define a storage chamber 44 wherein a spare roll of tissue paper 46 may be stored.

A roll of tissue paper 48 is rotatably supported by the partitions 32 and 34. This is accomplished by telescoping tubes 50 and 52 disposed within the core of the roll 48 and biased apart by spring 53. Each of the tubes 50 and 52 have projections on their ends extending into aligned holes in the partitions 32 and 34.

As shown more clearly in FIGURE 4, a roller 56 is rotatably supported by bracket 58 on the inner surface of front wall 26. The reduced diameter ends of the roller 56 are supported in a bearing 60 slidably received in a slot in the bracket 58. A spring 62 biases the beartaken along the line taken along the line taken along the line taken along the line 'ing 60 away from the front wall 26. Movement of the A pulley 70 is secured to the roller 66. A flexible elt 72 extends around pulley 70 and around the output .haft on a motor 76. Due to the relative sizes of the ulley 70 and the output shaft on the motor 76, roller 56 will be driven at a lower speed. The motor 76 is upported by the bottom wall 22.

A socket 78 is supported by the bottom wall 22 and s electrically coupled to Wires extending through elecrical conduit 80. Electrical conduit 80 extends through t passageway 82 in the wall 12. A suitable conductor '5 extends between the socket 78 and the motor 76. A uitable conductor 77 extends between the socket 78 1nd the switch 84. A suitable conductor 79 extends ietween the switch 84 and the motor 76. Thus, the witch 84 is in series with the motor 76. Switch 84 is .upported so that it has a pushbutton operator 86 which :xtends through an aperture in the front wall 26 when he latter is in its closed position. As long as the push- )utton 86 is depressed, switch 84 will remain closed hereby causing the motor 76 to drive roller 66.

When it is desired to replace the roll 48 or otherwise rave access to the interior of the housing 16, the knob 54 provides a convenient means for applying force to he front wall 26 to move the same to the phantom posiion illustrated in FIGURE 2. When the wall 26 is n the phantom position illustrated in FIGURE 2, a latch l8 having one end pivotably secured thereto is moved to I. position whereby it will retain the wall 26 in said phanom position. When it is desired to move the front vall 26 to its solid line position in FIGURE 2, the latch i8 is manually rotated in a clockwise direction in FIG- JRE 2 while the front wall 26 is permitted to be moved 0 its closed position.

As shown more clearly in FIGURES 2 and 5, an elongated slot 92 is provided in the bottom wall 22 below he rollers 56 and 66. The sheet 64 of paper or other naterial to be dispensed extends through the slot 92. Immediately forwardly of the slot 92, there is provided a :errated edge 90 against which the sheet 64 may be :iulledto separate the amount desired from the remainder of the material on roll 48. The frictional engagement at the rollers 56 and 66 with the sheet 64 prevents the lhCCt 64 from tearing along perforation lines above said rollers.

The operation of the apparatus heretofore discussed is Jelieved to be obvious in view of the above description. Hence, only a short resume is believed to be necessary. Thus, with the elements in the solid line position in FIGURES 1-6, the dispensing is initiated by pressing on ;he pushbutton 86. When pushbutton 86 is activated, switch 84 is closed thereby completing the circuit to :he motor 76. Motor 76 rotatably drives roller 66 which :ooperates with roller 56 to cause the sheet 64 to be unwound from the roll 48. Such dispensing of sheet 64 will continue until pushbutton 86 is permitted to assume its normal position wherein switch 84 is open. Thereafter, the user may pull on the sheet 64 so that it is engaged with the serrated edge 90 so as to effect a tearing of the sheet 64 at a point below the rollers 56 and 66.

When it is desired to replace the roll 48, the front wall 26 is moved to the phantom position in FIGURE 2 and retained in such position by the latch 88. Thereafter, the core for roll 48 may be separated from the tubes 50 and 52 in a conventional manner and roll 46 substituted for roll 48. Thereafter, the front wall 26 is moved to the solid line position in FIGURE 2 as described above.

The dispenser may be converted for use in dispensing paper toweling which has a width substantially twice the width of the rolls 46 and 48. Thus, in FIGURE 7, the dispenser 10 is illustrated with the partition 34 removed and a roll 94 of paper toweling or the like is rotatably supported by the partitions 32 and 42. The sheet 96 of the paper toweling is disposed between the rollers 56 and 66 in the same manner as sheet 64. Dispensing of the sheet 96 is effected in the same manner as described above. The conversion from use with paper tissues having a length approximately half the length of the housing 16 is effected in a manner which is quick and easy, namely by merely sliding out the partition 34.

Thus, the housing 16 will be identical regardless of whether the material being dispensed is tissue paper or paper toweling each of which have different widths. Depending upon the nature ot the material to be dispensed and the location of dispenser 10, the partition 34 may be incorporated into the housing or left out as desired. This feature eliminates the necessity for making two difierent housings. The manner for rotatably supporting the roll 94 may be identical with that illustrated in FIGURE 6 and the telescoping tubes supplied as an accessory.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes there-of and, accordingly, reference should be anade to the appended claims, rather than to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. Dispensing apparatus comprising a housing, means within said housing for rotatably supporting a roll of tissue paper to be dispensed, a pair of rollers within said housing below said means so that the paper to be dispensed may be fed between said rollers, said housing having an opening through which the paper to be dispensed may be fed, an electric motor, means coupling said motor to one of said rollers, a selectively operable switch coupled to said motor to selectively enable said motor to drive said one roller to effect dispensing of material through said opening, said housing having a movable front wall, the other roller being rotatably supported by said front wall, a mounting flange on said housing extending away from said housing, said flange dividing said housing into a first portion which is adapted to be mounted within a wall or the like and a second portion which will be an exposed portion of the housing, said movable front wall being movably supported by the exposed portion of the housing, and said means within said housing for rotatably supporting the paper including a tubular member having its longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said rollers.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 including means within said hosuing for converting the housing from supporting a roll of tissue paper to supporting a roll of material of greater width, said last-mentioned means including a partition, said partition being disposed within a central portion of said housing and supporting one end of said tubular member, said partition being removably supported within said housing and readily removable to facilitate supporting said material for unwinding about an axis substantially identical with the longitudinal axis of said tubular member, and said housing having walls on opposite sides of said partition for supporting the ends of a roll of the material.

3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said switch is a pushbutton switch supported by an exposed portion of said housing, and said motor driving said one roller as long as the pushbutton switch is depressed.

4. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said motor is mounted within said housing adjacent a vertical wall within said housing, said vertical wall separating said motor and the paper to be dispensed.

5. Dispensing apparatus comprising a housing having a top and front wall, said front wall being pivotably mounted for movement about a first axis adjacent a front end of the top wall, said housing having a chamber therein for receiving a roll of paper-like material to be dispensed, a pair of rollers with said housing between which said material must :pass in order to be dispensed, one of said rollers being supported by said front wall, said housing having a slot through which said material may pass, an electric motor supported by said housing and coupled to the other roller, said housing having a wall between said motor and said chamber, means in said housing for rotatably supporting a roll of the material in said chamber about a second axis substantially parallel to the axis of said rollers, a selectively operated switch on said housing and coupled to said motor, said motor being coupled in driving relation with said other roller only so long as the switch is manually held in a closed position, and the space between said rollers lying in a vertical plane disposed between vertical planes containing said first and second axes.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Smith 312-39 Shelley 312-39 Richards 242-553 Ensminger 312-39 X McDonald 242-5553 Pink-ham 312-39 Marx 226-136 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner. 

1. DISPENSING APPARATUS COMPRISING A HOUSING, MEANS WITHIN SAID HOUSING FOR ROTATABLY SUPPORTING A ROLL OF TISSUE PAPER TO BE DISPENSED, A PAIR OF ROLLERS WITHIN SAID HOUSING BELOW SAID MEANS SO THAT THE PAPER TO BE DISPENSED MAY BE FED BETWEEN SAID ROLELRS, SAID HOUSING HAVING AN OPENING THROUGH WHICH THE PAPER TO BE DISPENSED MAY BE FED, AN ELECTRIC MOTOR, MEANS COUPLING SAID MOTOR TO ONE OF SAID ROLLERS, A SELECTIVELY OPERABLE SWITCH COUPLED TO SAID MOTOR TO SELECTIVELY OPERABLE MOTOR TO DRIVE SAID ONE ROLLER TO EFFECT DISPENSING OF MATERIAL THROUGH SAID OPENING, SAID HOUSING HAVING A MOVABLE FRONT WALL, THE OTHER ROLLER BEING ROTATABLY SUPPORTED BY SAID FRONT WALL, A MOUNTING FLANGE ON SAID HOUSING EXTENDING AWAY FROM SAID HOUSING, SAID FLANGE DIVIDING SAID HOUSING INTO A FIRST PORTION WHICH IS ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED WITHIN A WALL OF THE LIKE AND A SECOND PORTION WHICH WILL 